To Be With You
by Phanstarlight
Summary: 'Phoenix couldn't believe what he had just heard. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't' What if Phoenix never recovered from believing Edgeworth killed himself? Maybe, no matter what anyone did, nothing could save Phoenix from his own guilt and sorrow. AU, takes place instead of JFA.
**This sad little idea appeared in my head and then a few hours later, this was produced. I don't own any rights to Ace Attorney. Enjoy!**

 _Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death._

Phoenix couldn't believe what he had just heard. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. He snatched the note out of Detective Gumshoe's hands and read the words himself. But only then did his mind really realise what it all meant. He stumbled back and crashed against the bookcase in Edgeworth's office as the shock cascaded over him. His hand gripped against one of the shelves, digging his nails into the wood to steady himself. He was vaguely aware of Gumshoe trying to say something to him but Phoenix's ears and eyes were deaf and blind to the world around him. Instead, he was only focused on one thing; Miles Edgeworth. His eyes, his hair, his clothes, his voice all rushed through Phoenix's mind. He couldn't be gone. He couldn't have left him and especially not like this. After everything he had done to find him and how hard he had tried to bring back the friend he had once known. Only for it to be pulled violently out of his grasp by the very man he thought he had saved. Maybe it was all his fault; maybe he had pushed Edgeworth too far and made him remember too much.

Without a word Phoenix suddenly stood up straight, causing the detective in front of him to stumble backwards a little at the suddenness of the movement. His fist curled tightly around the note in his hand as he walked towards the door of the office. Just as he stepped out of the room he unfurled his fingers and allowed the note to slowly fall to the floor before leaving the room. Several voices called after him but all he heard were muffled cries as he walked swiftly down the corridor and out of the building. His head spun with confusion as he staggered back towards his apartment. Why had Edgeworth done it? Was it his fault? Had the memories of his father's death been too much for him to handle? Was it really a suicide? Had he been forced to do it? Why was there no true goodbye message? A deep, sharp pain slowly started to build in Phoenix's stomach as his body began to shake. The sun was beating down on him but his body was completely frozen as he pulled his jacket tighter around himself.

He had no idea how he managed it but somehow he found himself sat on his couch in his apartment, still in one piece. Only when a sudden sob burst from his lips did he feel the tears sliding down his cheeks. But he made no attempt to stop them. Instead, he let the tears fall freely and he held no leash on the cries that tumbled from his lips. His body slowly curled in on itself as he lay down on the couch, his weeping not faltering for a single moment. He had no idea how long he had cried but eventually his throat became raw and his eyes were red and puffy. With the last of his energy drained, he slumped down into a restless sleep.

* * *

Days rolled into weeks and weeks rolled into months. Phoenix sat by his window, staring aimlessly out at the world rushing past him. He heard Maya muttering to Detective Gumshoe outside but he paid no attention to their words. Maya had returned from her spirit medium training to find Phoenix in a piteous state. She had tried her best but nothing she did seemed to make a difference. He didn't move or speak. He hardly ate and he only slept if Maya slipped sleeping pills into his meals. She had hoped her presence would cheer him up but he barely acknowledged her most of the time. She had attempted joking around with him, putting on all the movies they used to watch together, cooking all of his favourite foods, anything that would pull him out of his trance like state. One day she had even resorted to shouting; she screamed and cried at him until her throat ran dry but still the man did not change even slightly.

Phoenix knew he was tearing Maya apart but there was nothing he could do. The only thing he could ever think about day and night were those five fateful words written on that accursed slip of paper. He hadn't taken any cases since that day, he had no idea if he still even had his office and he knew the only thing that was keeping this roof over his head was the charity of his friends. But that would soon run dry and he would truly have nothing- not even somewhere to live. He knew that was bad and he knew that he had to break out of the sorrow that clung to him, but he just couldn't. And that was simply because he didn't care. He didn't care about himself or his wellbeing, he didn't even care about his friends anymore. All he cared about was one question- why? Why had Edgeworth left him like that?

Tears stung Maya's eyes as she draped a blanket over her friend and she caught small a glance of his completely blank expression.

"Can you hear me?" she whispered quietly as she knelt on the floor beside Phoenix and pulled his hand in between hers. Phoenix gave her no answer but she had been expecting as much, so she continued to speak anyway.

"You've got to come back to us, Nick. We're all having a hard time dealing with this. Edgeworth wasn't just _your_ friend, you know? Larry, you remember him? He went ballistic when he found out and now he's gone missing. The police tried to track him down but wherever he's gone he obviously doesn't want to be found. Gumshoe's having a real hard time trying to deal with it all and so am I. A woman turned up at Criminal Affairs the other day. Her name is Franziska and she's Manfred Von Karma's daughter. She was pretty upset about Edgeworth too since he was like a brother to her. My little cousin is visiting here as well. Her name's Pearl and I bet you'd love her. Please Nick, we need you to come back" Maya's voice cracked on those final words. She slumped her body forwards, resting her head against the arm of Phoenix's chair. Her body shook with sobs until she finally fell asleep, her hand's still around Phoenix's. Unbeknownst to her, Phoenix turned his head slightly to look down at her sleeping form as a single tear trickled down his cheek and landed softly in her hair. Slowly he stood, careful to not wake Maya. He shuffled over to his desk, picked up a pen and paper and wrote a simple message. Then he walked towards the door and clicked it opened. Just before he walked out, he cast his eyes back to the silhouette of the girl still curled up by his chair.

"Don't worry, Maya. It will all be over soon" Then he turned back and soundlessly stepped out into the night.

The next morning, Maya awoke with a sore face and a stiff neck. She groaned as she sat up but immediately froze when her eyes came to rest on the empty chair in front of her. Frantically she looked around, trying to find any sign of her friend. Her eyes fell on a piece of paper on the table behind her and she scrambled towards it before picking it up and reading the contents. Her heart jumped to her throat, fresh tears sprung to her eyes, and everything fell so still that she almost screamed when her phone began to ring. Shakily she answered it and heard Gumshoe asking her to come down to the station. She stuffed the note into her pocket and ran down to Criminal Affairs. She burst through the doors and instantly stopped when she saw the sight before her. There he stood, Miles Edgeworth, surrounded by police officers with Gumshoe and Franziska either side of him.

"Maya! Look, he's here. Wait until Phoenix hears about this. He'll be as good as new"

"Phoenix won't be hearing about this" Maya said flatly as she stumbled over to the group, her fingers crushing the note in her pocket.

"What? Why not?" Gumshoe asked, clearly confused as to why they should keep such an important thing from him. Silently, Maya pulled out the note from her pocket and let it fall onto the nearest desk, her eyes not leaving Edgeworth's face. Everyone gathered around to read it apart from Edgeworth who stood completely motionless, staring right back at Maya. Suddenly everyone gasped and Edgeworth's attention was drawn away from the girl and towards the group.

"What is it? What does it say?" Edgeworth asked, confused as he pushed his way through the crowd until he was in front of the note. His eyes scanned over the words before he slipped backwards in shock, gripping the desk behind him for support. His mind refused to process it but no matter what he did the words on the page would not change. Nor would they ever change as they were burned into his memory forever.

 _Defense Attorney Phoenix Wright chooses death._


End file.
